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Campaign Diary
Introduction "It has been over two hundred years since the fall of the Black Tyrant, Mal’kor." The Darklands, now a scarred wasteland, is a brutal reminder of the atrocities that occurred during the First Age. Brimming with undead and creatures attracted by dark magic that still saturates the earth, the Darklands are a dangerous and unpredictable place that only the seasoned adventurer dares to enter. Bordering on the Darklands is the Great Dwarven City known as Kazak Norn. It is this citadel that acts as the blockade, preventing inhabitants of the Darklands spilling into the rest of Val’Nar. Travellers are being turned away from the city, something is amiss, something is being hidden, the city is on lockdown. Being denied access into the Iron Citadel, you have all been hired as a caravan guard for Yorri Grimsson, an old dwarf whose job it is to transport metal ingots from the foundries of Kazak Norn to the Blacksmiths at Karak Drim in the south. His usual guard have been sent into Kazak Norn during the lockdown. The road so far has been long, winding & uneventful. The surrounding mood is very quiet and solemn. Nobody's a stranger to what is happening in the North. People are noticing the extra posts on watch at the Darklands Border, the increased patrols along the mountain paths and the brimstone lanterns glowing brighter and brighter every passing week, a sign of gathering magic. The road has changed from a long dull trek over desolate wasteland to winding paths through hills & thickets. Currently you travel across the Fangol stretch, a well worn road that borders Whispwood to the left, a sheer drop to the right leads down into the Lowlands. Yorri watches the road ahead, his worn leather clad hand commanding a firm grip on the reins of the two hulking, if not overfed, oxen pulling the cart filled to the brim with various ores. Their grunts & chuffs can be heard over the eerie silence, plumes of steam leaving their nostrils as they relentlessly trudge their way along the path, pulling far too much weight, even for them. The old dwarf smiles to himself, he takes a long drag on his crude birch pipe and begins to speak, his haggard features disappearing behind a plume of bluish, nutty smelling smoke as he does so." Episode 1 - The Adventure begins... Yorri talks to the group, telling the players that there is something that haunts Whispwood. Something that whispers to travelers, driving them mad, and causing them to drive their wagons off the road into the lowlands. He stuffs two clumps of oxen fur into his ears as a preventative measure. As the group travels a loud bang & scrape is heard, the wagon slows to a stop. The wheel has broken, Yorri decides to set up camp with the group for the night. Setting up camp Gunter the Dwarven Cleric hops off the cart and inspects the damage. Haf & Torash head into the forest to check for firewood. Poji sends Oji off to forage for food & helps set up camp. Ghaern sleeps in the rear of the cart whilst Arvenis leant drunkenly against a tree. The group retired for the night, taking it in turns to keep watch. During the night whispers can be heard from the forest, Gunter detected the presence of magic, noticing shapes floating between the trees. Upon close inspection Haf noticed wraiths moving towards the party, before any action could be taken they were abruptly stopped by Yorri who threw a metal orb trailing an arc of blue light, upon impact it shattered emitting a flash of light that incinerated the Wraiths. Ambush & Chase The group fixed the wagon and set back off on their journey to Hammerfel, before being ambushed by a band of roving goblins. Beatrice & Bertha, Yorri's Oxen were harmed in the attack and fled into the forest. The group pursued, and hearing oxen-like noises coming from a cave, entered. They found themselves in a dark, damp & creepy cavern that turned out to be the lair of the creature that emerged from the pool of sickly greenish liquid at its centre, a Green Hag. Episode 2 - You found yourself fighting a Green Hag, the horrible creature seemed to be cradling a wound on her side throughout the fight, but she was a challenge nonetheless. After the creature inflicted a grievous wound across the face of Gunter, the group banded together bringing the terrible old being down, Torash dealing the killing blow with a calculated stab to her spine. The kleptomaniac Poji kept the hags arm for safe keeping, Haf found an ornate ring at the sludges shore, and Ghaern searched further into the cave, finding a small box containing a strange scrap of paper with part of a rhyme written on it, as well as a child's doll with buttons for eyes. Upon leaving the cave the group noticed a swarm of ravens, watching them leave whispwood, heading back on the road to Hammerfel. '' ''The party arrived at Hammerfel come nightfall, parting their ways with Yori the old Dwarf trader, they ate & drank at the travellers rest, narrowly missing an altercation with a haggard group of trappers. Gunter managed to get himself mugged whilst visiting the blacksmith in the middle of the night, whilst Poji the quick fingered gnome slipped a jeweled necklace from the pocket of one of the trappers. '' ''Seeing a crowd gather in the square around the notice board, Haf managed to acquire a notice of contract for the capture or killing of a group of raiders, south of Hammerfel. Episode 3 - Prologue After finding Gunter, outside the healers hut you popped inside together, Tyrin the Old Healer whom you met in the tavern the night before, applied a poultice to the clerics facial wound that he received during the fight with the hag. You learnt that Gunter was also mugged in the night when he went out in search of the blacksmith, after hours. As a group you explored the town of Hammerfel, Ghaern parting ways to visit the Bazaar. '' ''Finding yourselves in the jewellers to appraise the necklace & ring you had acquired, you learn that the necklace is in-fact part of the shipment the owner was expecting, apparently the caravan carrying the goods had gone missing 3 days prior. The Ring turned out to be a ring of rank that probably belonged to a paladin from the order of the broken sword. '' ''You left the jewllers and headed about town, visiting the library where Avenis found one of the books he authored, unable to afford its price tag Poji offered to steal the book for him, he accepted and with a quick distraction they managed to escape un-seen. After mulling about town visiting various vendors, you heard a uproar towards Hammers Rest, upon arriving you saw Yori, the old Dwarf trader being dragged away by Guards, apparently accused of being the orchestrator behind the raids on the southern route caravans, an anonymous tip off & bag of stolen goods being found in his cart. '' ''You spoke to the Karak Drim guards, friends of Yori’s, and agreed you would assist them by proving Yorris innocence. Suspecting the trappers from the night before to be the main culprits you learnt they had left town the night before, heading north east towards Grimmwold. You take haste and follow the road in the same direction, coming across a small Goblin Ambush that after a lengthy fight attracted two ogres that attacked the party. Dropping one of the ogres with a sweep of Torashes sword, the other knocked poor Gunter to the ground, heading in for attack. Luckily the Cleric was saved by a greatsword through the back of its head thrown by a man emerging from the woodland. His name: Gregor Proudhand, a bounty hunter from the Kingdom of Enar. Making camp and spending the night alternating watch you awaken to the sounds of clattering hooves heading your way.